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Thursday is the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers. Caring for children who have been abducted and suffered psychological trauma is as important as the rehabilitation of veterans, and still needs to be addressed, according to a number of experts.
“For children who have been used by armed groups to rebuild their lives and create a future for themselves, they must receive psychosocial support and adequate treatment,” says Andrea Suley, representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund. in South Sudan.
Ugandan activist Victor Ochen knows it all too well – his brother was kidnapped by Dominic Ongwen, a commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
“My own brother was kidnapped in an attack commanded by Ongwen, and so far he has not returned,” Victor Ochen told the Africa Calling podcast.
Ongwen was convicted last week of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The charges against him included the forced recruitment of child soldiers.
Ongwen himself had already been kidnapped by the rebel group, but had risen through the ranks.
“Overall the verdict has a very strong deterrent effect – it doesn’t matter if you are kidnapped as a child and conscripted to become a killer, there is a point in life when you know what is right, so you don’t. can’t hide behind a chain of command, ”Ochen said.
“Ongwen had the power to walk away from the battlefield if he wanted to, but he enjoyed causing all the pain, burning the camps, setting entire communities on fire,” said Ochen, who worked at the promoting peace and helping those affected by war, both physically and psychologically.
As Executive Director of the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET), Ochen has lived through war in northern Uganda, including as a refugee for 21 years, and considers rehabilitation important to heal society. at the base.
“What we say as victims, as survivors, as people who have directly lost, is different from what academics, politicians and intellectuals talk about … what they wear is not the same feeling of what we have on the ground ”. he said.
Children of South Sudan are suffering
In South Sudan, where the conflict is ongoing, there have been signs of progress, according to the UN, noting that there has been a significant decrease in violations against children since September 2018.
“The United Nations has verified more than 700 grave violations against children across the country, with central Equatoria state being the most affected region,” according to the UN Children in Armed Conflict division.
“The majority of the violations have been attributed to the opposing Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) and government security forces, including the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces,” he said. added, noting that 321 children are still used as child soldiers. .
“South Sudan has a faulty mental health care system… however, a lot can be done at the community level, with close monitoring by social workers,” the report adds.
UNICEF released a series of videos illustrating the nightmares some children still face after their abduction and forced conscription, showing the harmful effects of armed conflict on children directly facing atrocities.
Some children’s sleep patterns are affected, as are behavior and ability to concentrate. “They often have difficulty in school, become irritated and aggressive, or become completely withdrawn,” according to UNICEF.
For Ugandan activist Ochen, who has lived among those in northern Uganda who have suffered the most from the war, justice at the ICC – even if it took “ too long ” in his words – was necessary for the people, although many, he argues, desperate to see justice ever be done.
“Think about the damage – mental, psychological, historical – and the trauma that has developed from one person to another,” he said.
“What I can say is that the war, the war between the LRA and the Ugandan government has left the country so wounded that the region is so torn apart. He must heal, ”he added.
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